Process of treating fabrics



1931. s. RIVAT ET AL 1,818,505

PROCESS OF TREATING FABRICS Filed Dec. 16, 192'! NATURAL 6|LK BflCK CELLULOSE. ACETATE PI LE. YARN I I F .L CELLULOSE ACETATE Z 1 YARN CRRBONIZED INVENTORS GEORGE R\\/AT QANHLLE DREYFUS ATTORN YS ing a printed velvet effect.

Patented Aug. 11, 1 931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE RIVAT, OF PATERSON, NEW JERSEY, AND CAMILLE DREYFUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS TO CELANESE CORPORATION OF AMERICA, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE PROCESS OF TREATING FABRICS Application filed December 16, 1927. Serial No. 240,815.

This invention relates to a method of obtaining ornamental effects on mixed fabrics containing organic substitution derivatives of cellulose, by treating such fabrics locally in such a manner as to remove partly or wholly said organic derivatives.

An object of our invention is to produce patterns on fabrics containing organlc substitution derivatives of cellulose and fibres of other materials by printing the same with a paste containing a carbonizing material for the organic substitution derivative of cellulose, which paste does not affect said other material.

Another object of our invention is to produce printed velvet effects on velvets, plushes or other pile fabrics, the piles of which are made of organic substitution derivatives of cellulose yarns and the back of which is made of silk, wool or other animal fibres. Other objects of our invention will appear from the following detailed description.

In accordance with this invention a pile fabric having an organic derivative of cellulose pile and a back of animal fibres such as silk or wool, preferably after a thorough degumming or boiling off treatment, is (printed with a paste containing an acid an /or an acid salt and a solvent, swelling agent or softening agent for the organic substitution derivatives of cellulose. The fabric is then heated and maintained at an elevated temperature for a period of time, after whichon cooling the carbonized organic substitution derivative of cellulose is removed by brushing, plucking, suction or other suitable means. As a result of this treatment, the back of the fabric is exposed on the front face where the printing paste has been applied, while the pile is not ap reciably affected where it has not been app ied, thus produc- The fabric may then be given, if desired, a treatment whereby the organic derivativeof cellulose pile becomes partly or wholly delustered and produces a pleasing effect against the lustrous silk background. This may be done by boilmg the, fabric in an aqueous bath at 100 C.

be carbonizing paste is preferably made up of a thickening agent, an acidic compound, a solvent or softening agent for the organic derivative of cellulose and some water. The thlckenin agent may be gum tragacanth, gum arable or like gums, such as are ordinarlly used in prmting pastes in the textile print ng art. The acidic material may be an acid and more particularly a strong mineral acid such as sulphuric acid, or it may be an acid salt such as sodium acid sulphate or aluminum chloride or a mixture ofthese. The solvent, softener or swelling agent for the organic substitution derivative of cellulose may be one or more of the following substances: phenol, acetone, pyridine, diethyl phthalate, lactic acid, etc. The use of a solvent or softening agent is of great advantage since it decreases the impermeability of the organic derivative of cellulose in the acidic material, thus rendering the action of such material more complete in the carbonization process.

The paste may be applied by engraved or embossed plates, rolls, stencils, etc. to either side of the fabric. However,.we prefer to apply the same to the underside or back of the pile fabric so as to cause destruction of the loops of the pile. The fabric is then passed through a chamber, heated to an elevated temperature of preferably from 110 to 1 30 C. for about 6 to 30 minutes. The fabrlc 1s then washed with water. containing a small amount of weak alkaline material such as ammonia or sodium acetate and then dried. The attacked pile is then removed b brushing, plucking, etc. The beautiful e2: feet obtained by the pattern of the ile material standing out against the bac ground of the backing may be further enhanced by having the pile and the background of a different color. This difierence of color may ea be obtained by making the original pile fabric of differently dyed yarns, or else the pile fabric may be cross dyed prior to treatment in accordance with this process. Better yet, pile fabric is printed in the gray in accordance with this invention and then dyed or cross dyed as desired. This cross dyeing is possible because of the fact that organic derivatives of cellulose yarns behave differently towards many dyes than do silk and wool.

This invention may be applied to fabrics other than pile fabrics. Thus an ordinary mixed fabric containing yarns of'organic derivatives of cellulose and an .animal fibre such as silk or wool may be printed with the carbonizing paste and then heated, washed, dried and brushed. The organic derivative of cellulose yarn is thus removed in the places where the printing paste has been applied and an ornamental effect is produced.

Examples of organic substitution derivatives of cellulose are cellulose esters and cellulose ethers. Among the cellulose esters that may be used are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose propionate and cellulose butyrate. Examples of cellulose ethers are methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose.

In order to further explain our invention the following specific examples are given.

I Emample 1 A velvet having a pile of cellulose acetate yarn and a back of natural silk as a suitable design printed on the back thereof with the paste made up as follows:

Parts Gum tragacanth, 60% 65 Water 10 Sulphuric acid 0.5 Dietliyl phthalate 7.5 Acetone 15 Example $2 A velvet having a pile of cellulose acetate yarn and a back of natural silk is printed with a paste made up as follows= Parts Gum tragacanth, 60% 47 Water 8.5 Sulphuric acid 0.6

Lactic acid 4 Acetone 45 Dietliyl plithalate 7.5

The material is passed through a chamber, heated at 110 to 120 C. for 20 minutes and then neutralized, washed, dried and brushed as set forth in Example 1.

Example 3 The same fabric is printed with a paste made up as follows:

The sulphuric acid may be replaced by 1.3 parts of sodium acid sulphate (NaHSO The printed fabric is passed through a chamber, heated at 115 to 120 C. for 6 to 10 minutes. It is then washed, dried and brushed as set forth in Example 1.

The accompanying drawings illustrates the steps described in the foregoing examples. On the drawings Figure 1 shows a piece of pile fabric woven with cellulose acetate yarn 1 and natural silk yarn 2.

Figure 2 shows an area A ofthe fabric \vliereon the paste containing the carbonizing' agent has been applied, whereby that part of the cellulose acetate pile yarn within the area is removed, and

Figure 3 is a cross-section along the line 33 of Figure 2.

Although this invention has been described 'in detail, it isto be understood that many variations may be made therein without de-- parting from the spirit thereof.

Having described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Process comprising treating fabric containing cellulose acetate with a mineral acidic material and a solvent or swelling agent for the cellulose acetate, heating the material to an elevated temperature and removing the cellulose acetate affected thereby.

2. Process comprising applying locally to a fabric containing organic substitution derivatives of cellulose and fibres not affected by the process, a mineral acid compound and a solvent or swelling agent for said organic substitution derivatives of cellulose, heating the fabric to such temperature and for such a period of time that the organic substitution derivative of cellulose to which the acid material has been applied is renderedremovable and removing said organic substitution derivative of cellulose.

3. Process comprising printing a fabric containing organic substitution derivatives of cellulose and fibres not affected by the process with a paste containing a mineral acidic material and a solvent or swelling agent for Silld organic substitution derivative of cellulose, placing the same in a heated chamber, washing with a weak alkaline solution, drying and then brushing the same.-

4. Process comprising printing a fabric containing cellulose acetate and fibres not affected by the process witha paste containing a mineral acidic material and a solvent or'swelling agent for said cellulose acetate, placing the same in a heated chamber, washing-with a' weak alkaline solution, drying and then brushing the same. I

5. Process comprising printing a fabric having a pile of organic derivative of cellulose and a back of a fibre not affected by the process with a paste containing a mineral acid material and a solvent or swelling agent for the organic derivative'of cellulose, pass ing the same through a chamber heated at a temperature of about 110 to 130, washing with a neutralizing solution and then removing the affected organic derivative of cellulose material.

6. Process comprising printing a fabric having a-\pile of cellulose acetate and a back of silk with a paste containing a mineral acid material and a solvent or swelling agent for the cellulose acetate, passing the same through a chamber heated at a temperature of about 110 to 130, washing with a neutralizing solution and then removing the affected cellulose acetate material.

7. Process comprising printing a fabric having a pile of organic substitution derivatives of cellulose and a back of silk with a paste containing sulfuric acid and a solvent or swelling agent for the organic substitution derivative of cellulose, passing the same through a chamber heated at a temperature of about 110 to 130 C. washing with a neutralizing agent and then removing the ,affected organic derivative of cellulose material. a

8. Process comprising printing a fabric having a pile of cellulose acetate and a back of silk with a paste containing sulfuric acid and a solvent or swelling agent for the cellulose acetate, heating the same at a temperature of about 110 to 130 C. Washing with a neutralizing solution, and then removing the affected cellulose acetate material.

9. Process comprising printing a fabric having a pile of organic derivatives of cellulose and a back of silk with a paste containing sulfuric acid and a solvent or swelling agent for the organic derivative of cellulose, heating the fabric at a temperature of about 110 to 130 C. for a period of about 6 to 30 minutes, washing with a neutralizing solutionand then removing the affected organic derivative of cellulose.

10. Process comprising printing afabric having a pile of cellulose acetate and a back of silk with a paste containing sulfuric acid and a solvent or swelling agent for the cellulose acetate, heating the fabric at a temperature of about 110 to 130 C. for a period of about 6 to 30 minutes, washing with a neutralizing solution and then removing the aflected cellulose acetate.

11. Process comprising treating fabric containing organic substitution derivatives of cellulose with a substance containing a mineral acidicmaterial and a solvent or swelling agent for the organic substitution derivative of cellulose, heating the material to an elevated temperature, and removing the organic substitution derivative of cellulose affected thereby. I

12. Process comprising applying locally to a fabric containing cellulose acetate and fibres not affected by the process, a substance containing a mineral acid compound and a'solvent or swelling agent for the cellulose acetate, heating the fabric to such temperature for such a period of time that the cellulose acetate to which the acid material has been applied is rendered removable and removing said cellulose acetate,

In testimony whereof, we'have hereunto subscribed our names: I

GEORGE RIVAT. CAMILLE DREYFUS. 

